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Chaff vs Chap - What's the difference?

chaff | chap |

In intransitive terms the difference between chaff and chap

is that chaff is to use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; to banter while chap is of the skin, to split or flake due to cold weather or dryness.

In transitive terms the difference between chaff and chap

is that chaff is to make fun of; to turn into ridicule by addressing in ironical or bantering language; to quiz while chap is to cause to open in slits or chinks; to split; to cause the skin of to crack or become rough.

chaff

English

Noun

(-)
  • The inedible parts of a grain-producing plant.
  • To separate out the chaff , early cultures tossed baskets of grain into the air and let the wind blow away the lighter chaff.
  • * Dryden
  • So take the corn and leave the chaff behind.
  • By extension, any excess or unwanted material, resource, or person; anything worthless.
  • There are plenty of good books on the subject, but take care to separate the wheat from the chaff .
  • * Shakespeare
  • the chaff and ruin of the times
  • Loose material dropped from aircraft specifically to interfere with radar detection.
  • Straw or hay cut up fine for the food of cattle.
  • * Wyatt
  • By adding chaff' to his corn, the horse must take more time to eat it. In this way ' chaff is very useful.
  • Light jesting talk; banter; raillery.
  • Derived terms

    * separate the wheat from the chaff

    See also

    * bran

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To use light, idle language by way of fun or ridicule; to banter.
  • To make fun of; to turn into ridicule by addressing in ironical or bantering language; to quiz.
  • chap

    English

    Etymology 1

    Shortened from in 16th century English.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (dated, outside, UK, and, Australia) A man, a fellow.
  • *
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage=A chap named Eleazir Kendrick and I had chummed in together the summer afore and built a fish-weir and shanty at Setuckit Point, down Orham way. For a spell we done pretty well.}}
  • *{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=20 citation , passage=‘No. I only opened the door a foot and put my head in. The street lamps shine into that room. I could see him. He was all right. Sleeping like a great grampus. Poor, poor chap .’}}
  • (UK, dialectal) A customer, a buyer.
  • * Steele
  • If you want to sell, here is your chap .
  • (Southern US) A child.
  • Usage notes
    This word's existence in the US can be seen in the Pennsylvania German term .
    Synonyms
    * See also
    Derived terms
    * chappie * chappo

    Etymology 2

    Related to chip .

    Verb

    (chapp)
  • Of the skin, to split or flake due to cold weather or dryness.
  • To cause to open in slits or chinks; to split; to cause the skin of to crack or become rough.
  • * Blackmore
  • Then would unbalanced heat licentious reign, / Crack the dry hill, and chap the russet plain.
  • * Lyly
  • Nor winter's blast chap her fair face.
  • (Scotland, northern England) To strike, knock.
  • * 2008 , (James Kelman), Kieron Smith, Boy , Penguin 2009, page 35:
  • The door was shut into my class. I had to chap it and then Miss Rankine came and opened it and gived me an angry look [...].
    Derived terms
    * chapped * chapstick

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A cleft, crack, or chink, as in the surface of the earth, or in the skin.
  • (obsolete) A division; a breach, as in a party.
  • * T. Fuller
  • Many clefts and chaps in our council board.
  • (Scotland) A blow; a rap.
  • Derived terms
    * chappy

    Etymology 3

    From Northern English .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (archaic) The jaw (often in plural).
  • *1610 , , by Shakespeare
  • This wide-chapp'd rascal—would thou might'st lie drowning / The washing of ten tides!
  • * Cowley
  • His chaps were all besmeared with crimson blood.
  • * Shakespeare
  • He unseamed him from the nave to the chaps .
  • One of the jaws or cheeks of a vice, etc.
  • See also

    * chaps

    Anagrams

    *